Christopher Houston (c1743-1837)
__TOC__''' OVERVIEW Christopher Houston was probably born in Old Chester Co, PA, or perhaps Lancaster Co, PA in 1744. Many of his letters to his family have been preserved, and are found in the Mary Cecilia Dalton (MCD) Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In one of those letters he identifies his father as Robert Houston, his grandfather as Christopher Houston. Documents in the MCD Collection record that he left Lancaster Co, PA in 1765 at the close of the French and Indian War, crossing the Susquehanna and heading south to North Carolina. Christopher initially settled near Fort Dobbs in Iredell County, where he met Sarah Mitchell whom he married on 23 April 1767. The couple then relocated to the northeast of Statesville, settling on the south side of Hunting Creek, near what was later known as "Houstonsville". Here Sarah bore him eight children. Christopher's son, James, moved to Tennessee when an adult, and urged his father to move there as well. By 1814 James had convinced him and at the age of 71, Christopher made the move from his long-time home on Hunting Creek, North Carolina to Tennessee where he purchased a piece of land from James. The Hunting Creek property passed to a son-in-law, but remains in a descendants hands to this day. According to a letter written by Christopher and addressed to his son-in-law, Samuel Young, they settled on their new place, west of what is now Lewisburg in Marshall County, Tennessee on 17 April 1815. Here Sarah died on 18 May 1821 at age 79. Christopher remained a widower for a few years, but In 1825 at the age of 81, he married Elizabeth Simpson. She was in her 50’s, well respected, “exceedingly well spoken of,” and had never been married. She became part of the family and was said to be "loved by all" a source for these points. Christopher Houston died of a stroke at his home on 17 May 1837 and is buried in the Houston Cemetery on James Houston’s farm. He was 93 years old. Vitals Entry Source/Basis/Commentary Datum<---> DOB: Entry<---> 18 FEB 1744/45 Cmnt<---> Original and Military gravestone markers show 18 Feb 1744 Datum<---> POB: Entry<---> Susquehanna River, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Cmnt<---> Datum<---> DOD: Entry<---> 17 MAY 1837 Cmnt<---> 1) Original and Military gravestone markers show 17 May 1837 2) Letter from William London (son-in-law to Christopher) to Christopher's daughter, Sally, and her husband, Samuel Young. data, Presumably this is in the MCD, and is cited by [[Enfield, 1957] Datum<---> POD: Entry<---> At his home in a part of Maury County which is now Marshall County, Tennessee Cmnt<---> Datum<---> Burial: Entry<---> Houston Cemetery, West of Lewisburg, Marshall County, Tennessee Cmnt<---> Datum<---> Spouse (1): Entry<---> Sarah Mitchell b: 1742 d: 18 May 1821 She is buried next to Christopher Cmnt<---> Sarah and Christopher share the same stone. Datum<---> DOM (1): Entry<---> 23 APR 1767 Cmnt<---> Letter from Christopher to his son Placebo dated 23 April 1835 marking his 68th anniversary Enfield, XXXX:YY? Datum<---> POM (1): Entry<---> Bethany Church, later Fourth Creek Church, Rowan, later Iredell County, North Carolina Cmnt<---> Datum<---> Spouse (2): Entry<---> Elizabeth Simpson b: ABT 1775 Cmnt<---> Datum<---> DOM (2): Entry<---> 1825 Cmnt<---> Letter from Christopher to his son Placebo. Enfield, XXXX:YY? [Need to identify the specific letter that shows this. Datum<---> POM (2): Entry<---> Maury County, Tennessee Cmnt<---> Datum<---> Father: Entry<---> Robert Houston Cmnt<---> Letter from Christopher to his son Placebo. Enfield, XXXX:YY? [Need to identify the specific letter that shows this. Datum<---> Mother: Entry<---> Martha Worke Cmnt<---> Sources: This is a commonly made assumption. Proof is needed. Letters in the MCD collection identify Christophers wife only as "Martha" letter from Christopher to his son Placebo. to identify the specific letter that shows this. A marriage record for a Robert Houston and Martha Work is commonly identified as the marriage record for Christopher's parents, but apart from the fact that the given names match, there seems to be no direct evidence that this particular Robert Houston and Martha are in fact Christopher's parents, or more particularly that Martha's last name was Work/Worke. Link title Ancestry Christopher Houston is the son of Robert Houston (1712-1776) and Martha Work (1715-?). type=create preload=Genealogy:People Research Template width=50 ChildList Name DOB POB DOD POD Spouse DOM POM Notes Martha "Patsy" Houston 5 AUG 1770 Rowan County, North Carolina 22 Feb 1837 Tennessee 1) Alvin Duval 2) William London Jr. John Houston ABT. 1772 Rowan County, North Carolina 1799 Tennessee Lillias Houston 6 NOV 1774 Rowan County, North Carolina 26 Feb 1850 Marshall County, Tennessee Isaac Newton Bills 12 Sep 1797 Statesville, Iredell County, North Carolina James Houston 1775 Rowan County, North Carolina 26 May 1840 Marshall County, Tennessee Patience Bills 12 Sep 1797 Statesville, Iredell County North Carolina Samuel Houston JUN 1776 Rowan County, North Carolina 1807 North Carolina Placebo Houston 28 MAR 1779 Rowan County, North Carolina 2 Jan 1809 Iredell County, North Carolina Elizabeth Ragsdale Young 17 Jan 1809 North Carolina Christopher Houston ABT. 1781 Rowan County, North Carolina Sarah "Sally" Houston 28 JUL 1783 Rowan County, North Carolina 28 Dec 1853 Iredell County, North Carolina Samuel Young type=create preload=Genealogy:People Research Template width=50 Family history ''The following Narrative was written by Dan Woodruff (a descendant). Christopher Houston was born 18 February 1744 on the Susquehanna River in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania to Robert and Martha Houston. He was the fifth son of eight children. Little is know of his early years but it is said that he was well educated and raised in a devout Presbyterian home. Leaving behind his childhood he set off on his journey crossing the Susquehanna River at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on 5 October 1765. He traveled with others of his family arriving in Fort Dobbs, North Carolina in good time to settle in before winter. Christopher’s father had a close friend and neighbor, John Mitchell, who had moved to Fort Dobbs a few years earlier. John Mitchell was a Presbyterian minister who organized and built churches in Pennsylvania and was the father of Christopher’s future wife Sarah. The families spent the next two years in Fort Dobbs, which was a highly defensible structure. The fierce and unpredictable attacks of the Cherokee’s living in the area kept the families within the walls. The men worked in the fields with their rifles or muskets lying close at hand. During attacks the men would retreat into the fort and continue the fight from within the solid Oak log structure, which had three floors where as many as 100 weapons could be fired from each floor at one time. Christopher Houston and Sarah Mitchell married on 23 April 1767. Christopher built their home on Hunting Creek. By the onset of the Revolutionary war they had four children, Martha, John, Lillias and James. Their sons Placebo and Christopher were born before the end of the war and Samuel and Sarah were born after. Education was very important to Christopher and his wife Sarah but as this was not Lancaster County, Pennsylvania where excellent tutors could be easily hired for educating the children, he built an additional room that was used specifically as a school. Fortunately a fine young schoolteacher, Moses Waddell, moved to their area and accepted the position. Other local children attended school here as well. Christopher had become well respected and by the onset of hostilities between the Colonies and England, he had the rank of Captain in the militia. He was a Captain in the North Carolina Rangers throughout the Revolutionary War. There is one report, which shows that he had lost his horse in one battle and briefly rejoined another group of Patriots as a Private. He was at the battle of Ramseur’s Mill where his brother, James, was killed. There was another James Houston at Ramseur’s Mill (unrelated) who was injured in the leg. Christopher is also reported to have been at the battle of Guilford Courthouse. Some accounts have Christopher Houston guarding captured Tories to prevent them from joining the troops gathered at Kings Mountain where the Patriots gained a great victory against Major Patrick Ferguson, which caused the turning point in the war. Christopher lost most of his hearing during the war. In spite of his handicap, after the Revolutionary War, Christopher was prominent in the affairs of the area, both public and private, and was often called upon to help resolve disputes between others. He was instrumental in organizing the town and was first Postmaster of Houstonville. This was the second post office in Iredell County. Christopher and his descendants held this office for over 100 years. At Christmas in 1809 Christopher and his wife Sarah planned a large gathering of friends and family for a Christmas party. Among the guests were Andrew Carson and his family. Andrew’s brother Lindsay Carson and his wife Rebecca and their four boys had come to visit Andrew’s family for Christmas that year and, of course, were invited as well. Rebecca Carson was expecting her fifth child anytime. Sarah had been keeping an eye on her guests and noticed the look of pain in Rebecca’s expression and led her upstairs, suggesting she lie down and rest. Within a short time a newborn infant’s cry could be heard downstairs. Quickly the announcement was made that Lindsay and Rebecca had another son. Out of respect to her host, Rebecca Carson presented her newborn son as, “Christopher Houston Carson, but he’s so little, I guess we’ll call him Kit.” As small as he was at birth he became big as an adult and is the famous “Kit Carson” who became a legend of the West as a trapper, scout, soldier, and Indian Agent. Christopher Houston was his godfather. Christopher Houston’s son, James, had moved to Tennessee and urged his father to move there as well. By 1814 James had convinced him and at the age of 71, Christopher made the move from his long-time home on Hunting Creek, North Carolina to Tennessee where he purchased a piece of land from his son James. According to a letter written by Christopher and addressed to his son-in-law, Samuel Young, they settled on their new place, west of what is now Lewisburg in Marshall County, Tennessee on 17 April 1815. Christopher lost his precious Sarah on 18 May 1821. Sarah disliked Tennessee and never ceased urging her husband to move back to their place on Hunting Creek. Christopher writes in a letter to his daughter, Sarah Young, that his wife’s last words to him were urging him to give their land back to Jamey. Her illness was brief and she went quietly. She was 79. Christopher remained a widower for a few years and did not feel people should marry in (his own words) “the eleventh hour” and had a “prejudice against old people’s folly in marrying again.” He admitted to receiving many “hints” to take another wife but not making “any attempt toward it, though the constitution of my affairs require a woman’s care.” He continues in his letter to ask for God’s care and guidance in that and all matters. In 1825 Christopher was 81 years old and married Elizabeth Simpson. She was in her 50’s, well respected, “exceedingly well spoken of,” and had never been married. She became part of the family and was loved by all. Christopher Houston died of a stroke at his home on 17 May 1837 and is buried in the Houston Cemetery, which is on James Houston’s farm. He was 93 years old. 35.4283, Longitude: -86.8744 Sources (See Note): :Enfield, 1957 :Headstones in the Houston Cemetery, near Lewisburg, Marshall County, Tennessee; :U.S. Census records; :Land Records – Maury and Marshall Counties, Tennessee; :Land Records – Iredell County North Carolina; :Marriage Records - First Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; :Marriage Records - Rowan County, North Carolina; :Marriage Records – Iredell County, North Carolina; :Bible Record of James Houston and Patience Bills Notes Records Christopher Houston's Estate Record Original Source: MARSHALL COUNTY, TN - COURT- Minutes SEPTEMBER 1837 SESSION, Pages 55-57 Electronic Source: Rootsweb fide Dana Hill. Text Carey T. KELLY one of the administrators of the Estate of Christopher HOUSTON dcest deceased this day Exhibited in open Court an amount of sales of said Estate which was received by the Court and ordered to be entered upon the records of this Court. Thomas ROSS and James McCONNEL of John B. FOWLER Commissioners appointed at the August Term of this Court to set apart one years provisions for the widow of Christopher HOUSTON deceased?. made the following report Viz- we the undersigned Freeholders of the County of Marshall after being duly sworn have proceeded to set apart to Elizabeth HOUSTON widow of Christopher HOUSTON Deceased? so much of the Crop and provisions on hand as will be sufficient in our opinion to support and her family one year from the death of her husband as set apart to her for said purpose the following articles to wit- We have 25 Barrels of Corn 400 Bundles of oats or fodder 9 Bushels Wheat 1 lb Pepper 150 lb. Bacon 1 lb Alspice 200 lb. Beef 1 lb ginger 700 lb Pork 40 lb. soap 15 lb Lard 10 lb. Tallow 25 lb. sugar 10 lb. wool Rolls 15 lb Coffee 25 lb. Ginned Cotton 150 lb. Salt 5 pr. good shoes Given under our hands and seals the 30th day of August 1837. Thos. ROSS Jas, McCONNEL John B. FOWLER, Commissioners. Iredell Plantation Family Trying to Save Iredell Plantation STAFF REPORTS SALISBURY POST The LandTrust for Central North Carolina has gained another conservation coup: the 622-acre Daltonia Plantation north of Statesville. This week, the LandTrust said that Frederick Sidney Conrad Jr. and his wife, Mary Cecelia Kennedy Conrad, along with Mary Conrad’s sister, Dr. Edmonia Amelia Kennedy, have taken steps to conserve the site, located near the community of Houstonville. The plantation, home to hardwood forests, working farm fields and spectacular vistas, has been in the same family since Christopher Houston received it as a land grant from the state of North Carolina between 1783 and 1787. The two-story frame plantation house, an architectural gem built in 1857, is surrounded by log and frame outbuildings dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The site borders Hunting Creek and harbors the Kennedy Bog, cited as the best example of a ‘‘deep bog’’ in Iredell County. The Conrads have donated a permanent conservation easement on 198 acres of the plantation to the LandTrust. Kennedy and Mary Conrad also have taken steps to preserve the remainder of the property as part of their estate plan. ‘‘We want to preserve the land and continue farming it,’’ Kennedy said in a written statement. ‘‘Our father was a born farmer. It is what he and my mother would have wanted ... ‘‘We can’t help but care about it. It is such a historic area, with the old stagecoach road, the log house, the plantation house, the Revolutionary War cemetery and the site of the Young Fort on Hunting Creek nearby.’’ The conservation easement placed on part of Daltonia Plantation permanently protects the property from future commercial development and from all but limited residential development. It preserves the land for use as farm and forest land and protects the rare natural areas and creek frontage. It does not permit public access to the property and does not prevent the owners from selling it or passing it along to their heirs. This approach is often employed as an estate planning tool, enabling the owner to keep family lands instead of selling them to pay inheritance taxes. It also confers substantial state and federal income tax advantages. Statistics show that in 1982 Iredell County had 96,830 acres in crops. By 1992, crop land had dropped to 93,292 acres. Philadelphia Houston Marriages Original Source: Pennsylvania Archives. Second Series. Vol. IX. Published under direction of Matthew S. Quay, Secretary of the Commonwealth. Edited by John B. Linn and Wm. H. Egle, M.D. Harrisburg: Lane S. Hart, State Printer, 1880. "Marriage Record of the First Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, 1702-1745," pp. 3-78 Fide Electronic Source:Philadelphia FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Marriages 1702-1745 Date Husband Wife ? May 27, 1721, Houston, James Mary Crasford. ? November 31, 1732, Houston,Hugh Jane Mearnes L. November 23, 1732, Houston James Mary Mahaffy. ? January 21, 1733, Houston, George Anne Fullerton L. October 31, 1734, Houston, Robert Martha Work L. References Create a Reference type=create preload=Genealogy:Reference_Template width=50 Links Research needs Contributors Category:Houston Surname Category:Created Using Research Template